Shower base for a space-limited room

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a shower base for a space-limited room. The base includes a floor and two rear perimeter portions orthogonally connected at a first junction. The rear perimeter portions are sized and shaped to locate the shower base into a corner of the room. Two front perimeter portions are connected respectively to the two rear perimeter portions at second and third junctions at first and second inner angles each greater than ninety degrees. A third front perimeter portion interconnects the two front perimeter portions at fourth and fifth junctions.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/521,797 filed on Aug. 10, 2011 and entitled “SHOWERBASE FOR A SPACE-LIMITED ROOM”, the specification of which isincorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present relates to shower units, and more particularly, to a showerbase for use in space-limited rooms.

BACKGROUND

Showers are commonplace in most modern dwellings and in some publicfacilities such as gymnasiums. However, in some cases the spaceavailable to install a shower in a bathroom may be limited. It maytherefore be desirable to locate the shower in a corner of the bathroom.To this end, some manufacturers produce and sell showers with showerbases known as a “belly-type base”. This type of base typically includestwo orthogonal, straight sides joined together at a right angle and arounded side joining the two straight sides. The two straight sides areadapted to be placed against the walls in the corner of the bathroom,while the rounded side faces towards the interior of the bathroom.Shower wall panels, such as glass panels for example, are typicallyplaced vertically over the rounded side to form a shower enclosure inwhich a user may shower. This type of shower usually requires the showerwall panels to be curved to extend along the rounded side of the showerbase. Curved shower panels are more expensive and more complicated toproduce than planar panels.

Some manufacturers produce and sell pentagonal shower bases, also knownin the art as a “neo-angle” or “neo” shower base, which are squareshower bases on which one corner has been truncated to form a pentagonalshape. Shower bases of this type are particularly adapted to be placedin a corner of a bathroom, with one of the non-truncated corners of theshower base being fitted in the room corner and the truncated cornerbeing positioned opposite the room corner. Shower wall panels may thenbe provided over the sides of the shower bases, and a shower door may beinstalled over this truncated portion to allow a user to access theshower. The advantage of this configuration is that it is possible touse planar shower wall panels instead of curved panels. However,disadvantageously the interior space available in this type of base willusually be less than the interior space available in showers having arounded base, because the area of the pentagonal base will be smallerthan the area of a comparable rounded base, i.e. a rounded base havingan apex which is located on the same radius as the pentagonal base.

Furthermore, the space available in the bathroom may also be restricteddue to the presence of a toilet, a bathtub, a bathroom cabinet or othertypes of bathroom furniture. This bathroom furniture is usuallyinstalled along the walls of the bathroom. However, if an item ofbathroom furniture is positioned too close to the corner of the roomwhere a user wishes to install the shower, it may interfere with a sideof the shower base or with a shower wall panel extending upwardly fromone of the sides of the shower base. The user may therefore be forced toselect a shower having a smaller base, and therefore less interiorspace, which may be less comfortable to shower in or which may restrictmovement of the user when he or she is showering.

Thus, there is a need for an improved shower and/or a shower base whichis designed to permit location in a space-limited room, yet provides theuser with a sufficient usable area in which to enjoy a shower.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Our new shower base unexpectedly provides a usable area of shower panwhich is larger than a conventional corner located shower base. This isparticularly desirable in rooms where space for a shower unit islimited, especially if other bathroom fixtures such as toilets and sinksare also located in the room. To achieve this, we have increased theangles at two junctions in the shower base to be greater than 90degrees, which is used in conventional shower bases. This permits thefront portion of the shower base to be extended away from the rearportion of the shower base so as to provide a greater usable area in theshower pan.

According to one aspect, there is provided a shower base for aspace-limited room, the base comprising:

-   -   a floor;    -   first and second rear perimeter portions orthogonally connected        at a first junction, the rear perimeter portions being sized and        shaped to locate the shower base into a corner of the room;    -   first and second front perimeter portions connected respectively        to the first and second rear perimeter portions at second and        third junctions at first and second inner angles each greater        than ninety degrees; and    -   a third front perimeter portion interconnecting the first and        second front perimeter portions at fourth and fifth junctions,        the front and rear perimeter portions being contiguous with the        floor.

In one example, the first and second inner angles are between 90 and 102degrees. In another example, the first and second angles are 102degrees.

In one example, the third front perimeter portion is disposed oppositethe first junction.

In another example, the first and second front perimeter portions aredisposed opposite the respective first and second rear perimeterportions.

In another example, the front and rear perimeter portions are wallsprojecting upwardly away from the floor.

In one example, the floor includes a drain hole located near the firstjunction.

In one example, the shower base is a unitary body, which may beprefabricated.

In one example, the first and second rear perimeter portions are between30 inches and 48 inches in length.

In one example, the shower base is pentagonal.

In one example, the first and second rear perimeter portions are linear.

In another example, the first and second rear perimeter portions arewavy.

According to another aspect, there is provided a shower unit for aspace-limited room, the shower unit comprising:

-   -   a shower base, as described above;    -   first and second wall panels connected to the first and second        rear perimeter portions, the wall panels being adapted to be        secured against respective walls at the corner of the room.

In one example, the walls at the corner of the room are disposed atninety degrees.

In one example, the shower base is pentagonal.

According to yet another aspect, there is provided a shower base for aspace-limited room, the base comprising:

-   -   a floor;    -   first and second rear perimeter portions orthogonally connected        at a first junction, the rear perimeter portions being sized and        shaped to locate the shower base into a corner of the room;    -   first and second front perimeter portions connected respectively        to the first and second rear perimeter portions at second and        third junctions at first and second inner angles each greater        than ninety degrees; and    -   a third front perimeter portion interconnecting the first and        second front perimeter portions at fourth and fifth junctions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the invention may be readily understood, embodiments ofthe invention are illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shower unit showing a pentagonalshower base, in accordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view showing a comparison of the shower base areaand that of a conventional shower base;

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the pentagonal shower base;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the pentagonal shower base;

FIG. 5 is a cross-section view, taken along cross-section line VII-VIIof FIG. 3, of the shower base shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a rear side elevation view of the shower base shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a left side elevation view of the shower base shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view showing a pentagonal shower base, inaccordance with an alternative embodiment.

Further details of the invention and its advantages will be apparentfrom the detailed description included below.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description of the embodiments, references to theaccompanying drawings are by way of illustration of an example by whichthe invention may be practiced. It will be understood that otherembodiments may be made without departing from the scope of theinvention disclosed.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a shower unit is illustrated generally at 100installed in a corner of room, such as a bathroom of a dwelling. Theshower unit 100 includes a shower base 102 and can include one or morewall panels 116, 118 mounted on the shower base 102 extending upwardlyaway from it. The shower unit 100 fits snuggly in the corner against twowalls 150, 152, which are typically about 90 degrees to each other. Theshower unit 100 can also include shelving 124 molded into the either ofthe two wall panels 116, 118, or the shelving 124 can be a separatepiece which can be installed separately. In the example illustrated, thewall panels 116, 118 are sealed against the walls 150, 152 usingconventional sealing methods such as caulking. Alternatively, the showerunit 100 may merely include the shower base 102 located snuggly in thecorner of the room and sealed against the walls 150, 152 therebyeliminating the need for the wall panels 116, 118.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the shower base 102 has a pentagonalconfiguration and includes a floor 104; first and second rear perimeterportions 106, 108 which are orthogonally connected at a first junction109; and first and second front perimeter portions 110, 112 which areconnected respectively to the first and second rear perimeter portions106, 108 at second and third junctions 113, 115. The rear perimeterportions 106, 108 are sized and shaped to locate the shower base 102into the corner of the room for a snug fit. Typically, the rearperimeter portions 106, 108 are connected to each other at about 90degrees to permit installation of the shower base 102 into the corner ofthe room. In some circumstances, the walls 150, 152 may not intersect at90 degrees and so the installer may need to add caulk around theperimeter of the shower base near the walls to ensure a watertight,gap-free fit. A third front perimeter portion 114 interconnects thefirst and second front perimeter portions 110, 112 at fourth and fifthjunctions 117, 119. The third front perimeter portion 114 is disposedopposite the first junction 109. The front and rear perimeter portions106, 108, 110, 112 and 114 are contiguous with the floor 104 and definea shower base which is sufficiently strong to support the weight of ahuman user. In one example, the front and rear perimeter portions 106,108, 110, 112 and 114 are walls which extend generally upwardly from theperimeter of the floor 104 and which will be described in more detailbelow. A drain 128 is located in the floor 104, typically near the firstjunction, to permit waste water to flow into and away from the showerbase 102.

The drain hole 128 includes a generally frusto-conical recess 250,extending below the floor 104. An annular surface 252 is further definedat the bottom of the frusto-conical recess 250, around a central,circular drain hole 254. A person skilled in the art will appreciatethat the drain hole 254 is sized and shaped to be operatively connectedto a drainpipe (not shown) while the annular surface 252 may be used tosupport a grate for instance, to prevent large debris from entering thedrainpipe.

The floor 104 is funneled to permit flow of waste water into the drainhole 128. The floor 104 is concave downward and the drain hole 128 islocated at the lowermost point of the floor 104 to direct waste wateralong the floor 104 and into the drain hole 128.

The shower unit 102 also includes additional shower unit features suchas one or more shower heads, which are well known in the art and willnot be described in detail.

When the shower unit 100 is installed, the first rear perimeter portion106 extends along the first room wall 150 and the second rear perimeterportion 108 extends along the second room wall 152 to define a cornerangle C₁ of about 90 degrees. The first front perimeter portion 110 isconnected to the first rear perimeter portion 106 and is angled awayfrom the first room wall 150 to define a first inner angle O₁ of greaterthan 90 degrees with the first rear perimeter portion 106. Similarly,the second front perimeter portion 112 is connected to the second rearperimeter portion 108 and is angled away from the second room wall 152to define a second inner angle O₂ of greater than 90 degrees with thesecond rear perimeter portion 108. The third front perimeter portion 114is connected to the first and second front perimeter portions 110, 112and defines third and fourth inner angles O₃ and O₄. If the first andsecond inner angles O₁ and O₂ are greater than 90 degrees, the third andfourth inner angles O₃ and O₄ will each be less than 135 degrees. Forexample, if the first and second inner angles O₁ and O₂ are each 102degrees, then the third and fourth inner angles O₃ and O₄ will each be123 degrees.

In the illustrated example, the shower base 102 is a unitary body whichmay be prefabricated using any material and techniques known in the artsuch as thermoset composite, injection thermoplastic, hand laidcomposite, by casting, by thermoforming or the like. Alternatively, thefront and rear perimeter portions 106, 108, 110, 112 and 114 and thefloor 104 may all be provided as distinct elements which can beassembled using known assembly techniques. For example, the shower base102 may be a concrete base structure defining the shape of the showerbase 102 with tiles covering the concrete base structure.

Advantageously, by increasing the first and second inner angles O₁ andO₂ to greater than 90 degrees each, the lengths (L₁ and L₂) of the tworear perimeter portions 106 and 108 and also the wall panels 116, 118can be decreased while maintaining constant the size of the usable areaon the shower base 102, thereby providing more wall space near theshower unit 102 to, for example, add electrical switches, electricaloutlets or ornamental features such as pictures.

The shower unit 102 typically includes one or more doors (not shown forease of presentation) known in the art, which are either hingeablyconnected to the shower unit or slidably mounted on either the showerbase 102 or on rails located on the shower base or directly above theshower base. Other conventional items such as curtains can be includedin the shower unit so as to define a closable interior space 126 toprevent water from exiting the shower unit 102.

In conventional shower units, the size of the interior space 126 insidethe shower enclosure limits movement of the user during showering. Byproviding the shower base 102 with first and second inner angles O₁, O₂which are greater than 90 degrees, it is possible to provide a showerunit 100 which covers the first and second room walls 150, 152 along thesame wall covering distances L₁ and L₂ as a conventional shower, whileproviding greater interior space inside the shower unit 100.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the first and second front perimeter portions110, 112 extend away from the first and second room walls 150, 152 whileconverging towards each other and are interconnected with the thirdfront perimeter portion 114.

Referring now to FIG. 3, in the shower base 102 illustrated, the frontand rear perimeter portions 106, 108, 110, 112 and 114 are walls whichextend generally upwardly along the perimeter of the floor 104. Thewalled design of the shower base 102 is a pan configuration whichcatches water as it falls into the pan and channels it towards the drain128.

As best seen FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, the front and rear perimeter portions106, 108 each includes a panel connector 220, 222 for receiving the wallpanels and holding them upright. In this embodiment, the front and rearperimeter portions 106 each further comprise a step 204 extending fromthe panel connectors 220, 222 downwardly towards the pan to permit therear perimeter portions 106, 108 to be mounted onto floor joists orplinths adjacent the walls by locating the rear of the step 204 onto thejoists or plinths. The step 204 includes a ledge 200, which extendsaround the periphery of front and rear perimeter portions 106, 108. Thestep 204 permits location of a generally pentagonal recess 202, which islocated below the ledge 200. The edges of the step 204 are rounded toprovide an aesthetically pleasing appearance to the shower base 102, tosimplify cleaning and to significantly reduce or essentially eliminatecracking of the shower base 102 at the step 204.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5, the front perimeter portions 110,112, 114 each includes a thin piece of material having a generallyV-shaped cross-section which defines an inner wall 700 and an outer wall702. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that this piece ofmaterial may be formed by molding during manufacturing of the showerbase 102. Furthermore, when seen from above, the front perimeterportions 110, 112, 114 are wavy. As shown in FIG. 4, the second frontperimeter portion 110 has a first end portion 300 which is generallystraight and extends away from the first rear perimeter portion 106generally orthogonally thereto. An outwardly curved elbow 302 connectsthe first end portion 300 to a second, also generally straight endportion 304 which extends at an angle relative to the first end portion300. The first inner angle O₁ is therefore defined between the firstrear perimeter portion 106 of the shower base 102 and the second endportion 304 of the first front perimeter portion 110. Alternatively, thefirst front perimeter portion 110 may include a single straight portionangled away relative to the first rear perimeter portion 106 of theshower base 102, in which case the first inner angle O₁ would be definedbetween the first rear perimeter portion 106 and this single straightportion.

Since the third front perimeter portion 112 is substantially identicalto the second front perimeter portion 110, it will not be described inany detail.

Still referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, the pentagonal recess 202 is thusbounded by the floor 104 and is surrounded by the inner surface 212 ofthe first and second rear perimeter portions 106, 108 and by the innerwall 700 of the first, second and third front perimeter portions 110,112, 114. As best shown in FIG. 5, the inner surface 212 is angledinwardly to direct the waste water in the shower base 102 to the drain128. Similarly, the inner wall 700 of the first, second and third frontperimeter portions 110, 112, 114 is also angled inwardly for the samepurpose.

As best shown in FIG. 7, the outer walls 702 of the first, second andthird front perimeter portions 110, 112, 114 extend below the floor 104.A person skilled in the art will understand that the shower base 102 isadapted to be mounted on a support structure which is laid out on thefloor of the room, and that the outer walls 702 hide this supportstructure from view when the shower base 102 is installed. In oneexample, the support structure is a foam layer made of a foam materialsuch as polystyrene-based foam. Alternatively, the support structure maybe a molded structure sized and shaped to be inserted below the floor104. For example, the molded structure could be a generallypentagonal-shaped structure slightly smaller than the shower base suchthat it could fit under it, between the first room wall 150, the secondroom wall 152, and the outer walls 702 of the first, second and thirdfront perimeter portions 110, 112, and 114. The pentagonal-shapedstructure would comprise a flat panel on which are provided a pluralityof protrusions or ribs, which would be sufficiently rigid to support theuser when the user is using the shower. Since the outer walls 702 of thefirst, second and third front perimeter portions 110, 112, 114 hide thissupport structure from view when the shower base 102 is properlyinstalled, the outer walls 702 may be provided with an aestheticallypleasing design.

In the example illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 7, the shower base 102 has few,if any, sharp edges, which advantageously permits ease of manufacturingof the shower base 102 and facilitates cleaning of the shower base 102by preventing water and/or scum from accumulating in the internal edges.

It will be appreciated that the shower 100 and/or shower base 102 may beconfigured according to one of various other configurations. Forinstance, in an alternative embodiment, the shower does not comprise anywall panels. Instead, the room walls may be covered with tiles, forexample, as is known to a skilled addressee.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a comparison between the shower base 102 (shownin solid lines) and a conventional shower base 800 (shown in brokenlines) is shown which emphasizes the structural differencestherebetween. In FIG. 8, the shower unit 100 is installed in the cornerof the bathroom. By way of example, a toilet 850 is shown located nextto the shower 100.

In this example, the shower base 102 extends along the first and secondroom walls 150, 152 along the same wall covering distances L₁ and L₂ asthe conventional shower base 800. However, the inner angles O′₁, O′₂ ofthe conventional shower base 800 are substantially equal to 90 degrees,whereas the inner angles O₁, O₂ of the shower base 102 are greater than90 degrees. In the example illustrated, the inner angles O₁, O₂ of theshower base 102 are about 102 degrees each. This allows the shower base102 to be provided with first and second front perimeter portions 110,112 which are longer than the corresponding first and second rearportions 802, 804 of the conventional shower base 800. The third frontperimeter portion 114 has the same length as a third front perimeterportion 806 of the conventional shower base 800. This advantageouslypermits the shower base 102 to be fitted with a similar door panel asthe conventional shower base 800 to provide the user with the sameclearance to enter the shower unit 100 as would the conventional showerbase 800. This configuration also advantageously permits the shower unit100 to be provided with a conventional door panel as used withconventional showers, instead of having to manufacture a new door panelsized specifically to be used with the shower base 102.

It can further clearly be seen from FIG. 2 that the shower base 102 hasa greater surface area than the conventional shower base 800, andtherefore offers greater interior space inside the shower unit 100. Forexample, the first and second rear perimeter portions 106, 108 of boththe shower base 102 and the conventional shower base 800 have a lengthof about 36 inches. However, the conventional shower base 800 onlyprovides an area of about 1126 square inches, whereas the shower base102 has an area of about 1450 square inches. This advantageouslyprovides the user with greater interior space to move around freelywhile showering. Providing more interior space in the shower unit 100may also leave the user feeling less confined and more comfortable whenshowering, which may advantageously cause a user shopping for a showerto select the shower base 102 over the conventional shower base 800.

Furthermore, the shower base 102 provides sufficient clearance relativeto the toilet 850. Specifically, it may be possible to provide aconventional shower base 800 having the same area as the shower base 102illustrated in FIG. 2, but in that case, the first and second rearperimeter portions of this conventional shower base would have to belonger than the first and second rear perimeter portions 106, 108 of theconventional shower base 800. This may make the toilet 850 uncomfortableor impractical to use because of the proximity of the shower unit 100,or may even cause the conventional shower base and/or a wall panelmounted to the conventional shower base to interfere with the toilet850, making it impossible to install the shower unit 100 in the cornerof the room.

Alternatively, to obtain a similar interior space as with theconventional shower base 800, the shower base 102 may be provided withshorter first and second rear perimeter portions 106, 108, which wouldadvantageously provide even more clearance relative to the toilet 850.

Alternatives

Although the shower base 102 referred to above is described as“pentagonal”, the shower base need not have straight front and rearperimeter portions. Referring now to FIG. 8, an alternative design of ashower base is shown generally at 900, which may be located in thecorner of the room in a similar fashion to that described above.

Since the shower base 900 is essentially identical to the shower base102 described above, only the salient differences will be described. Theshower base 900 includes wavy first and second rear perimeter portions902, 904. The first and second rear perimeter portions 902, 904 do notcontact their respective wall along its whole length, but each onecomprises at least one contact point with its respective wall to allowproper positioning of the shower base 900 in the corner of the room. Thefirst rear perimeter portion 902 forms a first corner 912 with a firstfront perimeter portion 906. The first rear portion 902 further includesa sharp bend located between a first corner 912 and the second rearperimeter portion 904 which defines a second corner 914. As can be seenfrom FIG. 8, when the shower base 900 is installed in the corner of theroom, the first and second corners 912, 914 both contact a first wall950. The second rear perimeter portion includes third and fourth corners916, 918 which contact a second wall 952 when the shower base 900 isinstalled. First, second and third front perimeter portions 906, 908 and910 are essentially identical to the front perimeter portions of theshower base 102 and include first and second inner angles O₁ and O₂which are each greater than 90 degrees. The alternative shower base 900also has the same advantages as the shower base 102.

Although the above description relates to a specific preferredembodiment as presently contemplated by the inventor, it will beunderstood that the invention in its broad aspect includes mechanicaland functional equivalents of the elements described herein.

1. A shower base for a space-limited room, the base comprising: a floor;first and second rear perimeter portions orthogonally connected at afirst junction, the rear perimeter portions being sized and shaped tolocate the shower base into a corner of the room; first and second frontperimeter portions connected respectively to the first and second rearperimeter portions at second and third junctions at first and secondinner angles each greater than ninety degrees; and a third frontperimeter portion interconnecting the first and second front perimeterportions at fourth and fifth junctions, the front and rear perimeterportions being contiguous with the floor.
 2. The shower base, as claimedin claim 1, in which the first and second inner angles are between 90and 102 degrees.
 3. The shower base, as claimed in claim 1, in which thefirst and second angles are 102 degrees.
 4. The shower base, as claimedin claim 1, in which the third front perimeter portion is disposedopposite the first junction.
 5. The shower base, as claimed in claim 1,in which the first and second front perimeter portions are disposedopposite the respective first and second rear perimeter portions.
 6. Theshower base, as claimed in claim 1, in which the front and rearperimeter portions are walls projecting upwardly away from the floor. 7.The shower base, as claimed in claim 1, in which the floor includes adrain hole located near the first junction.
 8. The shower base, asclaimed in claim 1, in which the shower base is a unitary body.
 9. Theshower base, as claimed in claim 8, in which the unitary body isprefabricated.
 10. The shower base, as claimed in claim 1, wherein thefirst and second rear perimeter portions are between 30 inches and 48inches in length.
 11. The shower base, as claimed in claim 1, ispentagonal.
 12. The shower base, as claimed in claim 1, in which thefirst and second rear perimeter portions are linear.
 13. The showerbase, according to claim 1, in which the first and second rear perimeterportions are wavy.
 14. A shower unit for a space-limited room, theshower unit comprising: a shower base, as claimed in claim 1; first andsecond wall panels connected to the first and second rear perimeterportions, the wall panels being adapted to be secured against respectivewalls at the corner of the room.
 15. The shower unit, as claimed inclaim 14, in which the walls at the corner of the room are disposed atninety degrees.
 16. The shower unit, as claimed in claim 14, in whichthe shower base is pentagonal.
 17. The shower base, as claimed in claim14, in which the first and second inner angles are between 90 and 102degrees.
 18. The shower base, as claimed in claim 14, in which the firstand second angles are 102 degrees.